“HE COULD HAVE BEEN AN EASY TARGET” — BRITISH STUDENT VANISHES FROM LISBON PARTY BOAT AS FAMILY FEARS HE WAS TAKEN

A British family’s dream holiday has turned into a desperate search after a 23-year-old university student mysteriously vanished from a party boat in Lisbon.

Julian Amaral had been enjoying a family trip to Portugal when he boarded the Vida De Jovem, a party boat hosting a white-themed event.

He was with his 24-year-old cousin.

Everything appeared normal.

Until Julian suddenly disappeared.

His family now fears he may have been taken — although authorities have not established that this is what happened.

Julian, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was last heard from by his mother on Tuesday after telling her he planned to attend the boat party.

Later that night, he boarded the vessel with his cousin.

At approximately 11:25 p.m., Julian told his cousin he was going to the toilet.

He headed downstairs toward the boat’s basement area.

And then, according to his family, he simply vanished.

HIS PHONE LOCATION STOPPED MOVING

One of the most puzzling details is what happened to Julian’s phone.

His location reportedly froze at almost exactly the same time he told his cousin he was going to the toilet.

The phone continued to show a location in the middle of the ocean.

But Julian was nowhere to be found.

His cousin was initially busy socialising and did not immediately realise how long Julian had been gone.

As the boat approached the dock, concern turned into panic.

The family began searching.

They checked the places Julian might have gone after leaving the vessel, including nightclubs, restaurants and surrounding streets.

One of their first stops was Docks, a bar where boat parties commonly finish.

There was no sign of him.

After roughly an hour, the family contacted police.

THEN CAME THE STRANGE WITNESS REPORTS

The case became even more confusing when several people reportedly told the family that they had seen Julian get off the boat when it returned to Lisbon.

Two security guards allegedly said they saw him disembark.

Another person contacted Julian’s sister, Jennifer Amaral, through social media and claimed she had spoken with him and also saw him leave the vessel.

Police searched the boat.

But Julian was not there.

Authorities have also checked nearby hospitals to determine whether he might have gone there himself or been taken there by someone else.

His family plans to continue checking hospitals as the search continues.

For Jennifer, the uncertainty has become unbearable.

The 34-year-old told The Sun that she was shocked when she first learned Julian had disappeared and could not understand why he had not been found.

She believes one possibility is that someone took him.

Her theory is based partly on the fact that Julian does not speak the local language, which she believes could have made him particularly vulnerable while travelling abroad.

But there is still no confirmed evidence that Julian was abducted.

That distinction is important.

At this stage, his disappearance remains under investigation, and the family is desperately trying to establish what happened after he left the party boat.

“WE JUST WANT HIM TO BE BACK SAFELY”

Julian’s family describes him as kind, friendly and full of energy.

Jennifer said her brother has a bright future ahead of him and is deeply loved by his relatives.

His nieces and nephews are also struggling with his disappearance.

His mother, she said, is devastated.

The family’s message is now simple:

They want Julian home.

Jennifer has appealed to anyone who may have seen him, spoken with him or noticed anything unusual around the boat or Lisbon nightlife area that night to come forward.

“We miss him and we love him,” she said, according to The Sun. “We just want him to be back safely.”

THE MYSTERY IS STILL UNANSWERED

There are now several unanswered questions.

If Julian left the boat, where did he go?

Why did his phone location stop moving at almost the exact moment he said he was going to the toilet?

Why did witnesses reportedly claim they saw him disembark?

And if he never left the boat, how did he disappear without being found during the subsequent search?

For his family, every possibility remains open.

What began as a night of music and celebration in Lisbon has become a frantic international search for a young man whose whereabouts remain unknown.

Julian had gone to a party.

He told his cousin he was going to the toilet.

His phone then appeared to stop moving.

And somewhere between that moment and the boat reaching Lisbon again, a 23-year-old university student disappeared.

Now his family is waiting for the one thing they desperately need:

an answer.